1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and, more particularly, to a recording apparatus which has a recording means for recording on a recording medium through an ink ribbon in accordance with a predetermined system, and a cover means for covering the recording means such that the cover means can be opened or closed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In conventional recording apparatuses for recording on a recording medium through an ink ribbon in accordance with a predetermined system, in order to allow easy replacement of the ink ribbon, a cover which is free to open or close is arranged on the recording head. However, it is strongly desired that replacement of the ink ribbon be further facilitated.
In recording apparatuses such as typewriters, printing is performed in accordance with the operator's operation, and the operator must be able to confirm printing results. In order to allow this, the ink ribbon is removed from the printing position after each printing operation so as to allow the operator to confirm the printing result. However, recently, in consideration of ease in ink ribbon replacement, an ink ribbon is housed in a ribbon cassette, and the cassette is replaced instead of replacing the ribbon itself. With this arrangement, the overall cassette is pivoted and the ribbon is shifted.
When the overall cassette is pivoted using a solenoid or the like, the operation noise is large, and power consumption is increased. In view of this, an arrangement is proposed wherein the ribbon cassette is kept in position, but the ribbon drawn outside the cassette is vertically shifted by an arm or the like. With this arrangement, the ribbon drawn outside the cassette is located at a fixed position below the printing position by the arm in the non-printing mode. Only in the printing mode, the ribbon is shifted up to the printing position.
In an apparatus adopting the above arrangement, when the ribbon is replaced, the operator must access and remove, from the arm, the ink ribbon shifted down to a position below the printing position behind the mechanism parts. In many conventional apparatuses, a lever mechanism is interlocked with the shift arm of the ink ribbon. In order to replace the ink ribbon, the lever is operated to shift the ink ribbon upward and remove it from the arm. In an apparatus of this type, replacement is cumbersome and an extra shift mechanism is required as compared to an apparatus wherein the overall ribbon cassette is replaced.